Hazardous driving conditions

When you encounter water, snow, ice, mud, sand, or similar hazards on the road, follow these suggestions:

• Drive cautiously and allow extra distance for braking.

• Avoid sudden braking or steering.

• When braking with non-ABS brakes pump the brake pedal with a light up-and-down motion until the vehicle is stopped.

• Do not pump the brake pedal on a vehicle equipped with Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS).

• If you are stalled in snow, mud, or sand, shift to the 2nd gear and accelerate slowly to avoid spinning the drive wheels.

• Use sand, rock salt or other nonslip material under the drive wheels to provide traction when stalled in ice, snow, or mud.

Reducing the risk of a rollover

This multipurpose passenger vehicle is defined as a Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV). Utility vehicles have a significantly higher rollover rate than other types of vehicles. SUV’s have higher ground clearance and narrower tracks to make them capable of performing in a wide variety of offroad applications.

Specific design characteristics give SUVs a higher center of gravity than conventional passenger vehicles. An advantage of the higher ground clearance is a better view of the road, which allows you to anticipate problems.

They are not designed for cornering at the same speeds as conventional passenger vehicles, anymore than low-slung sports vehicles are designed to perform satisfactorily in off-road conditions. Due to this risk, driver and passengers are strongly recommended to buckle their seat belts.

In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is significantly more likely to die than a person wearing a seat belt. To reduce the risk of a rollover while you are driving:

If possible, avoid sharp turns or abrupt maneuvers, do not load your roof rack with heavy cargo and never modify your vehicle in any way.

Rocking the vehicle

If it is necessary to rock the vehicle to free it from snow, sand, or mud, first turn the steering wheel right and left to clear the area around your front wheels. Then, shift back and forth between R (Reverse) and any forward gear.

Do not race the vehicle and spin the wheels as little as possible. If you are still stuck after a few tries, have the vehicle pulled out by a tow vehicle to avoid vehicle overheating and possible damage to the power electric system.

The ESC should be turned OFF prior to rocking the vehicle.

Smooth turning

Avoid braking or gear changing in corners, especially when roads are wet. Ideally, corners should always be taken under gentle acceleration. If you follow these suggestions, tire wear will be minimized.

Driving at night

Because driving at night is more hazardous than driving in the daylight, here are some important tips to remember:

• Slow down and keep more distance between you and other vehicles, as it may be more difficult to see at night, especially in areas where there may not be any streetlights.

• Adjust your mirrors to reduce the glare from other driver’s headlights.

• Keep your headlights clean and properly aimed. (On vehicles not equipped with the automatic headlight aiming feature.) Dirty or improperly aimed headlights will make it much more difficult to see at night.

• Avoid staring directly at the headlights of oncoming vehicles. You could be temporarily blinded, and it will take several seconds for your eyes to readjust to the darkness.

Driving in the rain

Rain and wet roads can make driving dangerous, especially if you're not prepared for the slick pavement.

Here are a few things to consider when driving in the rain:

• A heavy rainfall makes it harder to see and increases the required stopping distance for your vehicle, so slow down.

• Keep your windshield wiping equipment in good shape. Replace your windshield wiper blades when they show signs of streaking or miss areas of the windshield.

• If your tires are not in good condition, stopping quickly on wet pavement can cause you to skid and possibly lead to an accident. Be sure your tires are in good shape.

• Turn on your headlights to make it easier for others to see you.

• Driving too fast through large puddles can affect your brakes. If you must go through puddles, drive through them slowly.

• If you believe your brakes are wet, lightly engage the brake pedal while driving until braking operation returns to normal.

Driving in flooded areas

Avoid driving through flooded areas unless you are sure the water is no higher than the bottom of the wheel hub. Drive through any water slowly. Allow adequate stopping distance after driving through water because it may affect brake performance.

After driving through water, dry the brakes by gently engaging them several times while driving the vehicle slowly.

If the brake system is wet and the braking performance has decreased, or you hear frequent sounds when braking, adjust the setting for the regenerative braking system to '0' speed with the paddle shifter and engage the brake pedal lightly several times. Maintain a safe distance from vehicles ahead of you to dry the brake system.

Setting the regenerative braking system to '0' might reduce efficiency while you brake several times to reset the brake performance, but this is normal. The regenerative braking system operates normally afterward.

Driving off-road

Drive carefully off-road because your vehicle may be damaged by rocks or roots of trees. Become familiar with the off-road conditions where you are going to drive before you begin driving.

Highway driving